Roger Aiken putting in a fantastic ride that was in keeping with the quality of the promotion by VC Glendale. He stormed into an early lead and just kept going (Photo: Toby Watson)
Having taken victory in Orangefield and Lurgan Park a week earlier, Roger Aiken took his third win in a row in Belfast yesterday when he stormed away with round 2 of the Ulster Cyclocross Series.
The Team Asea cyclocross national champion was simply untouchable in the VC Glendale event in Falls Park and on his form to date he will be hard to beat any time he lines out this year.
Robin Seymour recently took gold at the MTB Masters World Championships and has been in winning form at home on the cyclocross season.
So it looks at this early stage of the campaign that both are once again at the top of the tree, though others will undoubtedly challenge; David Montgomery (An Post-Chainreaction) and Glenn Kinning (Kinning Cycles) being just two.
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Doherty may have been race director for promoting club VC Glendale but he still had the legs to get into the fight at the head of the race and come away with a strong result (Photo: Toby Watson)
And while Aiken was not challenged at the end of yesterday’s contest, taking it by nearly two minutes after almost three quarters of an hour, runner-up Graham Boyd (XMTB McConvey Cycles) can challenge this year.
And there are also a number of young guns – David Conroy (Donnybrook Landscapes-Scott) and James Curry (Banbridge CC) among them.
Back to yesterday’s contest; VC Glendale put on a feast of racing, with 16 categories/events from elite and Masters to U6 riders, of which there were 21 competitors.
It is the third time the club has put on the promotion and it has turned on a gem.
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In the main event Aiken stormed around the seven lap event fastest in the field on every circuit.
He stormed into an early lead, going around lap 1 in a time of 6:24, just 5 seconds ahead of eventual runner-up Boyd, with those who well ahead of the rest on that opening lap.
It was Brendan Doherty of host club VC Glendale and Conor Campbell (Newry Wheelers) who got closest to them.
It was a perfect day for racing, with a huge number of events making it a great promotion (Photo: Toby Watson)
But up ahead Aiken settled into his fierce rhythm and just kept pulling away from Boyd, who continued to put daylight between himself and those just behind.
Doherty and Campbell would give way to Barry Kellett (Dromara CC), Darnell Moore (Caldwell Cycles) and the evergreen Peter McConville (Newry Wheelers) but they stayed in the game.
Campbell ran would finish 5th and Doherty, the race director who put in a huge amount of work in the run-up to the event, still had the legs to take a very strong 7th.
Craig McCarthy (Xmtb McConvey Cycles) took the unplaced junior prize.
But there was no touching Aiken and Boyd, with Kellett – also 3rd last week – coming through to round out the podium.
He had 50 seconds over Moore, who finished just ahead of Campbell for 5th place. McConville and Doherty also finished side by side in 6th and 7th another 20 seconds back.
Sun, Oct 2nd: Ulster 'Cross Series
Round 2: Falls Park, Belfast
1 Roger Aiken Asea Wheelworx 00:44:18
2 Graham Boyd Xmtb McConvey Cycles 00:46:29
3 Barry Kellett Dromara Cycling Club 00:47:17
4 Darnell Moore Caldwell Cycles Omagh 00:48:07
5 Conor Campbell Newry Wheelers CC 00:48:07
6 Peter McConville Newry Wheelers CC 00:48:27
7 Brendan Doherty VC Glendale 00:48:37
8 Derek Finnegan Keevan CC 00:48:44
9 Christian Nachtigall Phoenix CC 00:48:50
10 Jason Henry **UNATTACHED Ulster** 00:49:14
11 Dominic McCartan Apollo CT 00:49:36
12 Des Woods Newry Wheelers CC 00:49:43
13 Stephen Cunningham Shimna Wheelers 00:49:51
14 Gary Sheils Newry Wheelers CC 00:49:56
15 Peter Davison Dromara Cycling Club 00:50:28
16 John Bogues Phoenix CC 00:51:02
17 Ronan O'Sullivan Team Giant Dublin 00:51:07
18 David O'Neill Swords CC 00:51:08
19 Benjamin Cady Velo Cafe Magasin 00:51:11
20 David Broome Dromara Cycling Club 00:51:16
21 Craig McCarthy Xmtb McConvey Cycles -1 lap
22 Gerald Irvine **UNATTACHED Ulster** -1 lap
23 Thomas Hepburn Island Wheelers -1 lap
24 Stephen Hutchinson CCT -1 lap
25 Drew McKinley Newry Wheelers CC -1 lap
26 Joseph McCrory Carn Wheelers -1 lap
27 Peter Morrison Velo Cafe Magasin -1 lap
28 John Conway Harps CC -1 lap
29 Sean Scullion Island Wheelers -1 lap
30 Cian May Team WORC -1 lap
31 Colm Quinn Newry Wheelers CC -1 lap
32 Brian Kellett Lakeland CC -1 lap
33 Gerard McNally BURC -1 lap
34 Matthew McAllister Island Wheelers -1 lap
35 Mickey Clarke Shimna Wheelers -1 lap
36 Connor Young Kinning Cycles -1 lap
37 Eamon McConvey Xmtb McConvey Cycles -1 lap
38 Jonathan Graham Velo Club Mourne -1 lap
39 Ciaran O'Hagan Caldwell Cycles Omagh -1 lap
40 Nathan Mullan Dromara Cycling Club -1 lap
41 Richard Gaffikin Killinchy CC -1 lap
42 Breandan Flannagan Ballymoney CC -1 lap
43 Joe Henry Velo Cafe Magasin -1 lap
44 Christopher McCann Banbridge CC -1 lap
45 Robert Greer Apollo CT -1 lap
46 Paul McArthur North Down CC -1 lap
47 Conor Halvey Errigal Cycling Club -1 lap
48 Richard Cowan Dromara Cycling Club -1 lap
49 Anthony McConville Apollo CT -1 lap
50 Robbie Doherty Ballymoney CC -1 lap
51 Henry O'Neill Newry Wheelers CC -1 lap
52 Michael McGlynn Errigal Cycling Club -1 lap
53 Deon McNeilly Shimna Wheelers -1 lap
54 Ed Boyle Phoenix CC -1 lap
55 Craig Lloyd **UNATTACHED Ulster** -1 lap
56 Hugh Gallagher Naas Cycling Club -1 lap
57 Shane Elder Carn Wheelers -1 lap
58 Eamon McConvey Newry Wheelers CC -1 lap
59 Mitchell McLaughlin Errigal Cycling Club -1 lap
60 Shea Gribbon Carn Wheelers -1 lap
61 Matthew Blayney North Down CC -1 lap
62 James McCourt Island Wheelers -1 lap
63 Ray Beers East Antrim - Audi -1 lap
64 Sean Daly Cuchulainn CC -1 lap
65 Calvin Moore Caldwell Cycles Omagh -1 lap
66 Joe Lennon Shimna Wheelers -1 lap
67 Padraig Rogan Phoenix CC -1 lap
68 Jack Carville Unattached -1 lap
69 Grzegorz Ligudzinski Emyvale CC McQTyres -2 laps
70 Aidan Lafferty Island Wheelers -2 laps
71 Gareth Skelly Carn Wheelers -2 laps
DNF Mark Harvey Xmtb McConvey Cycles
DNF Adam Duff Xmtb McConvey Cycles
DNF Mark Kendall Banbridge CC
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